The Cities That Spend The Most On Bike Lanes Later Reap The Most Reward

Investing in a
network of fully separated bike lanes could save cities huge sums in
the long-term. But too little investment in wimpy infrastructure could
actually decrease enthusiasm for cycling.

by Adele Peters, August 15, 2014

For every dollar spent to build new separated bike lanes,
cities could save as much as $24 thanks to lower health care costs and
less pollution and traffic, according to a new study from researchers in New Zealand.

"At the moment in most car-dominated cities, it’s easy to justify
spending transport money on new roads as a response to increasing car use, despite the negative impacts this has on the environment and people’s health now and in the future," says lead author Alexandra Macmillan. "We wanted to explore some policy choices that were realistic, affordable, transformative and healthy."

The researchers looked at Auckland, New Zealand, which is currently
not a particularly bike-friendly place, and used computer simulations to
model different scenarios for new bike-related investments, including
regular bike lanes, lanes shared with buses, and fully separated lanes.

They found huge differences: If the city built a network of separated
lanes and slowed down traffic speeds, it could increase cycling by 40%
by 2040, but adding a few lanes in a few places might only increase bike
traffic by 5%. The more people ride, the more the cost savings would
add up for Auckland--the biggest factor being a reduction in health care
costs. A smaller investment would have little impact at all; the city
is so bike-unfriendly that major changes are needed.

In cities dominated by cars, a small increase in cycling tends to
lead to more biking injuries and deaths, making other people more afraid
to ride. The way to overcome that problem, the researchers found, is to
make a bigger commitment to better bike lanes.

"We found that significant infrastructure investment is needed to
overcome this dampening effect of fears about cycling safety; that high
quality changes to main roads and local streets are the best place to
start for cities with low cycling and high car use;
and that these investments can have benefits an order of magnitude
greater than the costs if you get them right," says MacMillan.

Though the study focused on Auckland, the researchers think that the
general principles would apply to other cities where cars rule the road.
"Auckland is very similar in design and transport patterns to many US
cities, so we expect our findings to be relevant to the US," MacMillan
explains. The exact savings would be different; the study wasn't trying
to predict exact numbers, but show how different scenarios compare to
each other.

The study is already beginning to influence policymakers in Auckland,
and the researchers hope that it will continue to make a difference.
"The tide is turning, I believe, in New Zealand and in many other
countries that have neglected the bicycle in the last two decades," says
Alastair Woodward, a co-author of the study.

"It makes sense in so many ways to bring back the bike, and this is
happening. But only slowly. We hope our study, and others like it, will
strengthen the arm of policymakers who are trying to shift the status
quo."